ATTENTION: NIN REGISTRATION AND HOW NIMC HAS ADDRESSED REGISTRATION CHALLENGES

1. To address the challenge of crowd gathering at the registration centers, NIMC identified some number of strategies such as:

– Online registration

– Approval of 173 additional registration centres within the private sector, data collection organisations and some government agencies.

2. Buying and activation of SIMs: To either buy or activate a SIM, an individual must go to any Mobile Network Operator (MNO) with their NIN. The MNOs have been issued licenses to enroll a customer with a NIN (for those without NIN) and continue with the process of activation of new SIMs which is called Eco System Approach.

3. Registration is not only carried out in the NIMC offices. NIMC has given licenses to some government agencies and private sector firms to send NIMC the enrolments for NINs to be issued.

4. To guide against the spread of COVID-19, NIMC has always maintained the rules of COVID-19 preventive measures. When an individual goes to NIMC for enrolment, a number and a date is assigned in which they can come and register which gives NIMC the actual number they can register in a day following the COVID-19 protocol. This is because there is a certain number we can take to ensure social distancing and other protocols are followed.

“But instead Nigerians stay back loitering around on the street and that is what the press see but when you go into our (NIMC) premises, people are seated accordingly, well-mannered and orderly; we just need to call on Nigerians, if it is not your date, there is no need to show up at our office for the registration.” – General Manager, Legal Regulatory and Compliance Services, NIMC, Hajia Hadizah Dagabana

5. Extension: Whether there is going to be an extension or not, it is the decision of the ministerial committee who meet regularly to review the progress and performance to take a decision on it.

6. The National Identification Number (NIN) is a Nigerian citizen’s national identity. It is a unique set of eleven digits number that can be used to identify citizens by the Federal government of Nigeria. The number is issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) after an individual has successfully enrolled with them.

7. The National Identification plays a key role in the economic planning, development and effective public security and safety.

8. Eligibility: According to the NIMC act, people who are eligible to get a NIN are citizens of Nigeria from birth to an old person; permanent residents, non-citizens legally residing or working in Nigeria or going to live in Nigeria for more than 2 years; thus exceeding the tourist visit is eligible to register.

Nigeria citizens in Diaspora are also eligible. NIMC has centres in about 15 countries that enroll them. NIMC also does Nigeria citizenship and legal residence.

9. Registration for NIN did not just start recently, rather it had commenced since 2012 in NIMC. It is a civic duty for every person that is eligible to register to be identified. The urgency in the registration is needed for the harmonization of existing SIMs that are active.

10. Industrial strike by NIMC Workers: Workers are back at work. One of the major reasons why they went on strike is on the safety and protection of staffs. At the point of their going on strike, NIMC received Covid-19 support from the World Bank and distributed to all the regional offices. In all NIMC premises there have been disinfectants and hand washing device for both costumers and staffs, also the infrared temperature gauge were all supplied and distributed.

On the issue of salary, the government is already considering that, it is for the union to discuss with the relevant authorities that are in charge of the approval and wages.

11. Allowances and Promotion Issues: When the DG resumed office, he made sure every transferred staff or 28 days allowances claims were paid for; there is no outstanding allowance as at date. All liabilities incurred before have been sent to the budget office.

12. NIMC will work with other agencies in the NIN registration process exercise. Their staffs will be trained to enable them to be familiar on how the process will be while being mindful of the privacy and data protection of individuals. Training started on the 14th of January 2021, the first batch will last for two days and equipment delivery takes 3-4 weeks.

13. On every equipment, there will be technical configuration which will use the NIMC enrollment software. The software was designed in privacy because of the security implication. So when data that is not supposed to be the real data is sent, it will self-destruct; we protect the data that we are taking.

14. When these processes are done, a lot of NIMC agents will be on the field, some of them will be on mobile, moving from street by street, some will be individuals carrying certified hand held devices and enrolling people.

15. Some government agencies like Federal Road Safety Commission, Immigration Service etc, have already started MNO in their locations; they issue NIN too, this is also eco-system.

16. Registration is free. If anyone is told to pay, report to any NIMC office with documented evidence. It is free because government is paying for that service. If anyone is found collecting money kindly sends NIMC a direct message to carry out their investigation on it.

17 Many Nigerians registered many years ago or those who feel some changes are required, and some who have collected the plastic ID card for many years, what happens to these categories of people?

ANS: Those cards are no more legal tender. This has been announced over 6 years ago because the system has changed. The whole process was to take information and issue card; it was not an open system, it is a close system and if you have to do real identity that is done currently all over the world (I.E identity management) where you enroll in an open system and be able to verify that identity anywhere and anyplace.

18. Pre-Enrollment: It is a process whereby an individual who is IT savvy can work on a system, open the NIMC portal and fill in pre-enrollment form. Print it out and it will generate a bar code, you can either save it on your phone or go to NIMC office with it. For biometrics, it must be taken in our offices or the licensed agents that would soon start going around.

19. MNOs are making significant progress. They have all installed their routers to NIMC data centres to make sure information they send are accepted by NIMC system.

20. Linking NIN with TIN and BVN: The only identification number for a person’s identity is the NIN. TIN is for tax and BVN is for banking identification. NIN being the foundation, you need to identify yourself before TIN, driver license and BVN.

21. NIMC issues NIN from birth so that as a child grows, he/she already has the NIN. This will stop the habit of changing date of birth, giving out false years because they don’t want to retire etc. But there will be harmonization in the NIMC NIN registration.

22. With NIN being the foundation identity, the government has recognized that there are already existing databases in the country, so part of the mandate of the commission is to harmonize those existing databases.

23. Harmonization with exiting database has commenced. NIMC has done about 14 to 15 million of the BVN records, so we have harmonized those ones. Immigration services are in the process of doing that and as we all know you cannot obtain an International passport if you don’t have any of these, that is the process of harmonization.

24. As we go into the ecosystem, the major role of the National Identity Management Commission will be that of a regulator. Already there is an harmonization committee that has set up a biometric standard so that going forward any institution that is going to do data capture must do it according to a standard so that it can talk to the National ID database.

25. An individual can link up to 7 numbers. There is an app that was developed and can be found on Google Play store. The app can only be downloaded with the number used for NIN registration. The app can be used to link phone numbers to NIN.

26. The mobile registration will be more effective. You don’t need anybody to come to you because it is not a contract, it is a performance based project, and you have to perform before you get paid. So the ability to get more people to register is what will generate money for the company. So it is easier to go mobile than waiting for people to come to you.

27. Names of companies going mobile have been published. NIMC will still publish the names of those who have fixed offices and where they will be located. For mobile registration, staffs will move around with ID card to register people

28. Enrolment started in 2012 till date and will not close because it is not only capturing the identity of a person and issuing NIN that is final, there are information that will change and an individual should have the ability to walk into any centre to modify their details.

29. For people that registered in 2013, their registration is still valid. All they need to do is to link their NIN to other SIM numbers they have.

30. Regardless of when an individual registers (even as far back as 2012), the NIN number does not change but the card expires.

31. For people selling their NIN number because of small money, know that the person you are selling your number to, if he should commit any offence it is the owner of the NIN number that will be held responsible because the number belongs to a registered person.

32. The first process of linking NIN is to find out if the picture on that NIN is the same with the one on one’s SIM card registration details. If they are not, it has to be clarified.

33. The delay in the original cards coming out is due to the high rate of production. Although the main thing is the number, the FG has promised to issue the cards.

34. NIN enrolment is 80% digital once pre-enrolment is done. Once demography is captured, 80% has been completed. The remaining 20% is physical due to finger print and because there are standards that will be used to confirm your identity.

35. If you registered previously and didn’t get your NIN slip, you must have been given a transaction slip. You are supposed to go back with that slip to get your NIN number or better still dial *346# on your mobile number you used that year to register.

36. For children below 16, their parent should make sure they are registered because their identity will be tied to their parents but they will have their own NIN.

37. Registration to issue NIN is free, however if you have any reason to amend your name then you will have to pay for it and date of birth can only be registered once in a life time.